Sun sets on JobsNow at midnight tonight

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Mayor Gavin Newsom was unsuccessful in his aggressive push to get one of his pet projects funded another year. JobsNow, the federally-funded stimulus program that has helped to employ more than 4,000 San Franciscans, ends at midnight tonight.

“I am deeply disappointed that Congress has recessed without extending this highly successful stimulus program, putting thousands of working parents across the nation at risk of losing their jobs,” Newsom said in a statement today. “Fortunately, we know that many businesses plan to keep their employees, but we are also taking steps in San Francisco to offer new local incentives for private sector employers to hire working parents.”

Newsom’s office has been prepping for this day for months. In August, the mayor suspended the popular program, with more than 7,000 businesses and potential workers waiting in line for jobs. City gardeners, clerks and administrative workers will lose their jobs starting Friday, according to the Mayor’s Office.

However, Newsom has crafted his own plan to help incentivize employers to retain their workers and hire more. “We simply cannot afford to let Washington politics stymie our efforts to grow our local economy and keep people working.”